Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 159 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Anuar Zaini MZ
    JUMMEC, 2002;7:1-2.
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants
  2. OMAR W
    Med J Malaya, 1958 Dec;13(2):187-90.
    PMID: 13632220
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  3. Boufkhed S, Thorogood N, Ariti C, Durand MA
    BMJ Glob Health, 2024 Feb 05;9(2).
    PMID: 38316464 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013521
    BACKGROUND: The exploitation of migrant workers ranks high on global political agendas including the Sustainable Development Goals. Research on exploited workers, using assessment tools where exploitation is defined by professional experts, indicates serious health concerns and needs. Yet, migrant workers are rarely asked about their understanding of a phenomenon they may experience. Our study aimed to conceptualise 'labour exploitation' from the perspective of migrant workers employed in manual low-skilled jobs.

    METHODS: Twenty-seven Latin Americans working in London (UK) participated in Group Concept Mapping; a participatory mixed-method where qualitative data are collected to define a concept's content and then analysed using quantitative methods to generate a structured conceptual framework. Participants generated statements describing the concept content during brainstorming sessions, and structured them during sorting-rating exercises. Multi-Dimensional Scaling and Cluster Analysis were performed, generating a conceptual framework that clarified the dimensions, subdimensions and constituent statements of the concept of labour exploitation from migrant workers' perspectives.

    RESULTS: Three key dimensions were identified: 'poor employment conditions and lack of protection', covering contractual arrangements and employment relations; 'disposability and abuse of power' (or 'dehumanisation') covering mechanisms or means which make migrant workers feel disposable and abused; and 'health and safety and psychosocial hazards' encompassing issues from physical and psychosocial hazards to a lack of health and social protection. 'Dehumanisation' has not been included in mainstream tools assessing exploitation, despite its importance for study participants who also described harsh situations at work including sexual, physical and verbal abuse.

    CONCLUSION: Our study provides a conceptual framework of labour exploitation that gives voice to migrant workers and can be operationalised into a measure of migrant labour exploitation. It also calls for the dimension 'dehumanisation' and structural forms of coercion to be integrated into mainstream conceptualisations, and their workplace hazards to be urgently addressed.

    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  4. Veerasingham KV, Rasanayagam S
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants
  5. Fauza AG
    JUMMEC, 2002;7:24-27.
    This paper attempts to examine the socio-demographic profile of the respondents in Migrant Health studies. It was based on questionnaire survey among 820 respondents from the Klang Valley and the State of Kelantan from 6th January 1998 to 14th January 1999. Majority of the respondents (47.9%) were from Bangladesh, followed by Indonesia (14.8%), Thailand (13.7%), Myanmar (20.4%), Pakistan (9.9%) and Others (1.3%). The male to female ratio is 7:1. He age of respondents ranged from 18 to 69 years with a mean of 30.5 years. More than 70% of them are adults (25-44 years). Females were older than males (mean age of 33.8 years and 30.5 years respectively). Majority of the respondents were married (females 75.8% and males 52.6%), 93.7 were Muslims. About 87.4% of them had some formal education. Majority of the foreign workers were employed as factory workers (35.7%), followed by construction workers (18.3%), agricultural workers (33.6%), service workers (13.3%) and self-employed (11%). Nevertheless, the profile of these responding do not conform to the national profile.
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants
  6. Khairul Anuar A
    JUMMEC, 2002;7:3-5.
    Many nation states, including Malaysia are undergoing development and modernization brings tremendous achievements related to social and economic well-being, on the other hand, it also brings along with it the various untoward effects on the nation. One of the main factors which have an impact on modernization, mass migration of rural populations to the urban areas, has been on going in Malaysia since the seventies. In the early nineties, the robust economic development in Malaysia necessitated the import of foreign labour from the neighbouring countries in order to provide cheap labour in the labour intensive industries. This demographic changes, internal and foreign migration, parallels the economic progress of the host countries. According to the latest report from the Immigration Department, there are more than 1.2 million registered foreign workers (up to January 1998) in Malaysia. This figure may exceed 2 million if we take into consideration the illegal immigrants and this is a big proportion (about 10%) of foreign workers in which has Malaysia’s population of approximately 20 million. The presence of such a big number of foreign workers during less than a decade is not merely an immigration issue, but it is major concern for the nation especially with respect to health care, housing and education. As the immigrant community is highly dynamic, the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are a great concern for Malaysia especially in formulating health policies for Malaysia currently and in the future.
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants
  7. Khairul Anuar A, Nooriah MS, Farizah MH, Merina P
    JUMMEC, 2002;7:80-81.
    The immigration of foreign workers has important public health implications because it is a potential route for disease transmission. New diseases may be introduced into the country and diseases which have been eradicated may re-emerge among the local population. The emergence of new diseases and re-emergence of previously eradicated diseases will have grave public health implications because the local population has no or decreased immunity against these diseases. The mobility of foreign workers withing the country sometimes makes it difficult for the health authorities to track the source of infection. Foreign workers who are carriers of diseases such as Hepatitis B and HIV (which have a window period) will test as negative and hence will not be detected during the pre-employment medical examination. Thus it is essential that these foreign workers undergo a full medical examination and screening withing 3 to 6 months after entry into Malaysia and annually throughout their employment period in Malaysia. The current physical examination and screening procedure does not guarantee that these workers are totally disease-free. Therefore, we need to re-look at the current examination content, criteria and procedures to rectify any deficiencies in the current system. The authorities need to devise a mechanism to ensure that foreign workers or their employers purchase a medical insurance so that the public sector health facilities and personnel are not overloaded and overworked. The authorities have already in place a mechanism to prevent medically UNFIT foreign workers from entering this country. However, it is the large number of undocumented and illegal foreign workers that pose a bigger threat to the wellbeing of the nation's health. As long as employers are willing to take a risk by employing illegal foreign workers, all the efforts that the government has undertaken to safeguard the nation's health will be rendered futile.
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants
  8. Zurainee MN
    JUMMEC, 2002;7:70-76.
    We describe the results of serology for parasitic infection of 698 foreign workers. The 698 foreign workers participated included 115 Indonesians, 387 Bangladeshis, 101 Burmese, 81 Pakistanis, 6 Indians, 3 Thais, 3 Filipinoes and 2 others. Blood samples were taken from these workers and eight tests (Amoebiasis, Echinococcosis, Filariasis (bm and wb), Leishmaniasis, Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Trypanosomiasis) were performed on serum separated from the blood. Among the 698 sera tested, 38.1% were found to be positive for at least one parasitic infection. The most common antibody detected in the positive sera was antibody for amoebiasis (28.1%), followed by malaria (26.9%), echinococcosis (18.1%) and schistosomiasis (11.6%). Other tests showed a low percentage of infection with leshmaniasis (6.5%), filariasis (Brugia malayi (3%) and Wuchereria bancrofti (1%)) and trypanosomiasis (1%).
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants
  9. Khan AH, Khanbabaie S, Yunus MH, Mohd Zain SN, Mohd Baharudeen Z, Sahimin N, et al.
    J Immigr Minor Health, 2020 Oct;22(5):1105-1108.
    PMID: 32445161 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-020-01029-y
    Hydatid disease is not endemic in Malaysia; however, its migrant workers originate from neighboring countries where the disease is prevalent. Thus, this study was aimed at investigating the seroprevalence of hydatid disease among the workers. A total of 479 migrant workers were screened for hydatid disease. The sociodemographic information was collected, and serum samples were tested with a rapid dipstick test for hydatid disease called Hyd Rapid™. The present study showed that 13.6% of the migrant workers were found to be seropositive for hydatid disease. The highest seroprevalence was seen among Indian workers (29.41%), followed by Myanmarese (21.43%), Bangladeshis (14.92%), Nepalese (10.68%), and Indonesian (10.66%). This is the first study that highlights the likely presence of hydatid disease among the migrant workers in Malaysia, which may be of interest to the health authorities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  10. Subramaniam M
    Med J Malaysia, 1964 Dec;19:134-9.
    PMID: 14279236
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  11. Mak J, Zimmerman C, Roberts B
    BMC Public Health, 2021 06 12;21(1):1131.
    PMID: 34118898 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11192-y
    BACKGROUND: International labour migration has become a crucial livelihood strategy, especially in countries where decently paid employment opportunities are limited. Such opportunities come with many potential benefits but also many stressors that challenge migrants' coping skills, especially when they are in a foreign environment away from their normal support network. This paper explores how labour migrants coped with migration-related stressors using a sample of male Nepali migrants.

    METHODS: Qualitative life histories were conducted in Kathmandu among returnee male migrants. Coping responses were categorised based Skinner and Zimmer-Gembeck's coping typologies. The interview scripts were transcribed in Nepali and translated into English for analysis. Each interview script was open coded and then categorised according to the 12 core coping families. Data were analysed thematically to explore relationships across and within coping and stressors.

    RESULTS: Forty-two men were interviewed who mainly worked in low- and semi-skilled jobs in Malaysia, and the Gulf States. The coping strategies most commonly used belonged to the families of problem-solving, support-seeking, negotiation and helplessness. Men used these either individually or collectively with other migrants. Those who sought assistance from authorities or civil society organisations did not always receive the help needed and there were mixed messages as to when and what types of assistance were available. Some stressors involved multiple coping strategies simultaneously, others described changing strategies following unsuccessful earlier attempts. The coping families of helplessness and social isolation reflected migrants' limited power in challenging certain stressors. The choice of coping strategies was also moderated by factors such as outstanding loans, language difficulties, or not wanting to cause their family distress. Some coping strategies used led to  new stressors.

    CONCLUSIONS: Migrants need greater clarifications on their rights with respect to contract discrepancies, the types of support available, how and from whom to access them once in destination. Improvements to the support mechanisms migrants can access as well as strengthening migrant-led initiatives in destination countries to support labour migrants' in managing stressors are needed. These may contribute to reducing the experiences and impact of such stressors, which may ultimately lead to more successful migration outcomes. As labour migration from Nepal is likely to continue, government and CSOs need to ensure migrants have the support they need to cope with the challenges they may encountered along the way.

    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  12. Huang L, Said R, Goh HC, Cao Y
    PMID: 36833663 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20042968
    China's internal migrants suffer from marginalised housing conditions, poor neighbourhood environments and residential segregation, which may have significant implications on health and well-being. Echoing recent calls for interdisciplinary research on migrant health and well-being, this study examines the associations and mechanisms of the impact of the residential environment on the health and well-being of Chinese migrants. We found that most of the relevant studies supported the "healthy migration effect", but the phenomenon was only applicable to migrants' self-reported physical health rather than mental health. The subjective well-being of migrants is lower than that of urban migrants. There is a debate between the effectiveness of residential environmental improvements and the ineffectiveness of residential environmental improvements in terms of the impact of the neighbourhood environment on migrants' health and well-being. Housing conditions and the neighbourhood's physical and social environment can enhance migrants' health and well-being by strengthening place attachment and social cohesion, building localised social capital and gaining neighbourhood social support. Residential segregation on the neighbourhood scale affects the health outcomes of migrant populations through the mechanism of relative deprivation. Our studies build a vivid and comprehensive picture of research to understand migration, urban life and health and well-being.
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  13. Long S, Madon ZB, Norowi NM, Ang MF
    Front Public Health, 2024;12:1431996.
    PMID: 39901910 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1431996
    INTRODUCTION: The mental health of left-behind children has garnered attention from Chinese scholars in recent years. Although several interventions have been implemented to address these children's mental health in urban areas, a gap remains in understanding the types of interventions, their effectiveness, and the factors that act as barriers or facilitators during the implementation process.

    METHODS: A mixed methods systematic review informed by JBI methodology. Researchers conducted a comprehensive search of databases in both English and Chinese, covering the years 2005 to 2023. The initial search took place in January 2024 and was updated in March 2024. This study includes all studies results available up to December 31, 2023. The protocol has been registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023384078) and includes 14 studies in the review.

    RESULTS: The activity categories included group psychological activities, individual family activities and multiple formats services. Three barriers to implementation emerged: social workers, activities and parents. The facilitators were parents and activity design.

    CONCLUSION: This review revealed that some studies suffered from poor data collection methods and data quality. Studies on services for mental health in urban left-behind children requires methodologically robust study designs for broader dissemination and rigorous evaluation.

    SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42023384078, available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023384078.

    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants/psychology; Transients and Migrants/statistics & numerical data
  14. Yadee J, Bangpan M, Thavorn K, Welch V, Tugwell P, Chaiyakunapruk N
    Int J Equity Health, 2019 05 06;18(1):64.
    PMID: 31060570 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-019-0970-x
    BACKGROUND: Everyone has the right to achieve the standard of health and well-being. Migrants are considered as vulnerable populations due to the lack of access to health services and financial protection in health. Several interventions have been developed to improve migrant population health, but little is known about whether these interventions have considered the issue of equity as part of their outcome measurement.

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the evidence of health interventions in addressing inequity among migrants.

    METHODS: We adopted a two-stage searching approach to ensure the feasibility of this review. First, reviews of interventions for migrants were searched from five databases: PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and EMBASE until June 2017. Second, full articles included in the identified reviews were retrieved. Primary studies included in the identified reviews were then evaluated as to whether they met the following criteria: experimental studies which include equity aspects as part of their outcome measurement, based on equity attributes defined by PROGRESS-Plus factors (place of residence, race/ethnicity, occupation, gender, religion, education, socio-economic status, social capital, and others). We analysed the information extracted from the selected articles based on the PRISMA-Equity guidelines and the PROGRESS-Plus factors.

    RESULTS: Forty-nine reviews involving 1145 primary studies met the first-stage inclusion criteria. After exclusion of 764 studies, the remaining 381 experimental studies were assessed. Thirteen out of 381 experimental studies (3.41%) were found to include equity attributes as part of their outcome measurement. However, although some associations were found none of the included studies demonstrated the effect of the intervention on reducing inequity. All studies were conducted in high-income countries. The interventions included individual directed, community education and peer navigator-related interventions.

    CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence reveals that there is a paucity of studies assessing equity attributes of health interventions developed for migrant populations. This indicates that equity has not been receiving attention in these studies of migrant populations. More attention to equity-focused outcome assessment is needed to help policy-makers to consider all relevant outcomes for sound decision making concerning migrants.

    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  15. Vijayasingham L, Rhule E, Asgari-Jirhandeh N, Allotey P
    Lancet Glob Health, 2019 07;7(7):e843-e844.
    PMID: 31200884 DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30196-2
    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  16. Loganathan T, Rui D, Pocock NS
    BMJ Open, 2020 Dec 02;10(12):e039800.
    PMID: 33268413 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039800
    OBJECTIVES: This paper explores policies addressing migrant worker's health and barriers to healthcare access in two middle-income, destination countries in Asia with cross-border migration to Yunnan province, China and international migration to Malaysia.

    DESIGN: Qualitative interviews were conducted in Rui Li City and Tenchong County in Yunnan Province, China (n=23) and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (n=44), along with review of policy documents. Data were thematically analysed.

    PARTICIPANTS: Participants were migrant workers and key stakeholders with expertise in migrant issues including representatives from international organisations, local civil society organisations, government agencies, medical professionals, academia and trade unions.

    RESULTS: Migrant health policies at destination countries were predominantly protectionist, concerned with preventing transmission of communicable disease and the excessive burden on health systems. In China, foreign wives were entitled to state-provided maternal health services while female migrant workers had to pay out-of-pocket and often returned to Myanmar for deliveries. In Malaysia, immigration policies prohibit migrant workers from pregnancy, however, women do deliver at healthcare facilities. Mandatory HIV testing was imposed on migrants in both countries, where it was unclear whether and how informed consent was obtained from migrants. Migrants who did not pass mandatory health screenings in Malaysia would runaway rather than be deported and become undocumented in the process. Excessive attention on migrant workers with communicable disease control campaigns in China resulted in inadvertent stigmatisation. Language and financial barriers frustrated access to care in both countries. Reported conditions of overcrowding and inadequate healthcare access at immigration detention centres raise public health concern.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study's findings inform suggestions to mainstream the protection of migrant workers' health within national health policies in two middle-income destination countries, to ensure that health systems are responsive to migrants' needs as well as to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation towards ensuring better migration management.

    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
  17. de Smalen AW, Chan ZX, Abreu Lopes C, Vanore M, Loganathan T, Pocock NS
    BMJ Open, 2021 Jan 18;11(1):e041379.
    PMID: 33462099 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041379
    BACKGROUND: A large number of international migrants in Malaysia face challenges in obtaining good health, the extent of which is still relatively unknown. This study aims to map the existing academic literature on migrant health in Malaysia and to provide an overview of the topical coverage, quality and level of evidence of these scientific studies.

    METHODS: A scoping review was conducted using six databases, including Econlit, Embase, Global Health, Medline, PsycINFO and Social Policy and Practice. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were conducted in Malaysia, peer-reviewed, focused on a health dimension according to the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) framework, and targeted the vulnerable international migrant population. Data were extracted by using the BARHII framework and a newly developed decision tree to identify the type of study design and corresponding level of evidence. Modified Joanna Briggs Institute checklists were used to assess study quality, and a multiple-correspondence analysis (MCA) was conducted to identify associations between different variables.

    RESULTS: 67 publications met the selection criteria and were included in the study. The majority (n=41) of studies included foreign workers. Over two-thirds (n=46) focused on disease and injury, and a similar number (n=46) had descriptive designs. The average quality of the papers was low, yet quality differed significantly among them. The MCA showed that high-quality studies were mostly qualitative designs that included refugees and focused on living conditions, while prevalence and analytical cross-sectional studies were mostly of low quality.

    CONCLUSION: This study provides an overview of the scientific literature on migrant health in Malaysia published between 1965 and 2019. In general, the quality of these studies is low, and various health dimensions have not been thoroughly researched. Therefore, researchers should address these issues to improve the evidence base to support policy-makers with high-quality evidence for decision-making.

    Matched MeSH terms: Transients and Migrants*
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links